Useful information and news

The Royal British Legion

The Royal British Legion Club is a friendly social club offering a range of activities, events and bar games such as pool and darts.

To make use of the club’s benefits including club prices at the bar you need to be a member of the Royal British Legion and the club. This costs under £30 for the year and is open to all applications – you don’t need to have connections to the armed forces.

Organising parties for children, fun activities and events throughout the ear, the Legion is the only current place in the village where there is an alcohol licence and has regular opening times.. The legion is open several evening during the week and at the weekends, often opening extra for popular sporting events – to check opening times and events check out www.facebook.com/boxted.legion which keeps everyone up to date, or see the board outside the club on Straight Road.

Many of the events organised support the continuing provision of the club for villagers and other funds raised go the the Poppy appeal.

History

The Boxted branch of the Royal British Legion was formed in 1935 by ex-servicemen of the 1st World War. The first President was Capt. G.H. Swift who lived at Cheshunts in Church Street. Col. Guy Blewitt was the first chairman with Mr T.F.Alderton as the original secretary.

Their major remit was to help ex-servicemen with their health and pension problems. Committee meetings were held in the Priory Hall which acted as the village hall at the time. Committee members paid 6 pence (2½p) each meeting towards the purchase of bricks to build the hut. Members subscription was half a crown – 2/6d (12½p).

The hut was built from 2 Nissun huts bought from the POW camp at Wrabness for £30 each. Mr Geater, who ran the garage in the village, transported the huts free of charge while Col. Waller, who lived at Boxted Lodge, sold a 50 year lease on the land to the Legion for a peppercorn rent. The hut was finally opened in 1948 whan a small bottle of beer cost 9d while a large brown ale was 1/8d. The hut was heated by two tortoise stoves – one in the middle and the other at the far end. Beer was supplied by Ind, Coope and Allsopp who also provided the chairs for the hut.

Eric Gant comes from an ardent Legionnaire family. His father, Harry, was Secretary from 1937 until 1964 when Eric took over. At this time there were over 300 members. Both Eric and Harry were awarded the Legion’s Gold badge and Eric had the great honour of carrying the Boxted standard at two British Legion Remembrance celebrations in the Albert Hall – in 1964 and 1988. In 2015 Boxted was again represented with current chairman Barry Took representing the club.

Our Village

Boxted is a village and civil parish in the north east of Essex, England approximately 6 miles north of Colchester - close to junction 28 on the A12.

The village comprises pockets of residential areas surrounded by mainly arable farmland. The River Stour flows through the village and delineates the boundary between Essex and Suffolk. Old Boxted falls within Dedham Vale, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The village boasts a church, a primary school, a social club, village hall, sports pavilion and vineyard. Within the community there is a keen equine interest.